San Diego media baron trumpets conservative causes

SAN DIEGO — A developer who became fabulously rich building hotels during the dawn of San Diego's downtown renaissance has found a new job as media baron.

Douglas Manchester has found a powerful new outlet for his long-cherished agenda of downtown development and politically conservative causes. He bought The San Diego Union-Tribune last year and its most serious regional competitor, the North County Times, this month.

Manchester, who insists on being called "Papa Doug," and partner John Lynch are unabashed about using their newspapers to promote their agenda.

They quickly renamed the 143-year-old newspaper U-T San Diego, with the slogan, "The World's Greatest Country & America's Finest City." Lynch calls the editorial viewpoint pro-family, pro-military and pro-America and says "anybody who isn't shouldn't be living here."